A report of a man seen with a suspected firearm at a hospital, sparking a search by armed police, has turned out to be a false alarm.

Officers were called to search Leicester general hospital after the man was reportedly spotted at around 8.45am.

The hospital stayed open but movements of staff and patients were restricted as police helped hospital staff search the site.

But just after 12.30pm police confirmed the alert was over.

A spokeswoman said: "Officers and hospital staff are in the final stages of checking the premises following a report passed to police that a man was seen with what they believed to be a possible firearm.

"Significant time has past since the initial report and there have been no further sightings or calls.

"We believe that this was a call with good intent and which we have to check out.

"We want to thank public and staff at the hospital for their patience and support."